Pete Crow-Armstrong and Chase Meidroth may have just poked at one of Chicago baseball’s most familiar fault lines, and they did it from the stands at Soldier Field.
During the Bears’ win over the New England Patriots last Thursday, Crow-Armstrong - who has become a regular presence at Bears games over the last two years - was seen alongside White Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth. The sight of a Cubs face and a Sox face sharing a moment at a Bears game is the kind of thing that tends to set both fan bases off, especially with the city’s baseball split never far from the surface.
Crow-Armstrong has already built up plenty of visibility around Chicago beyond Wrigley, and he’s also been spotted with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Bulls forward Matas Buzelis. Those appearances have clearly rubbed some White Sox fans the wrong way, since there hasn’t been a Sox player in those scenes. This time, though, Meidroth was in the picture.
The moment even came with a little self-awareness. As the two were taking a photo, Crow-Armstrong reportedly said, “The people are gonna hate this!”
Meidroth also asked Crow-Armstrong if he lives in Chicago, a small exchange that suggests the two may not be especially close. Still, Crow-Armstrong was seen congratulating Meidroth on the success he and the White Sox had this year, which gives the scene a different edge than the usual fan-driven hostility.
That’s the thing about the Cubs-White Sox divide: the hatred often lives louder in the stands than it does between the players. Last Thursday’s moment hinted at that, with two players from opposite sides of the city sharing a lighthearted snapshot while fans watched on.
In Other News...
Cubs Fans Have A Real Reason To Watch Seattles Manager Search
Rocco Baldelli taking himself out of the running for Seattles managerial opening narrows the focus of a search that has already moved into its advanced stages. The Mariners are trying to replace Dan Wilson, who said he would not return for the 2027 season, and the front office has made clear it is looking for an experienced hand to guide the club forward.
For Cubs fans, the watch list is now much smaller, with Joe Espada and Jason Kanzler the only publicly known names still in the mix. However this shakes out, Seattles choice could have ripple effects beyond the Northwest, especially for a Cubs team always keeping an eye on the managerial market and the familiar names who tend to circulate through it. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Would Face A Painful Trade-Off In Any CJ Abrams Pursuit
The Cubs are already heading into the winter with a familiar roster puzzle, and the outfield figures to be part of it. Ian Happ looks like the safer bet to stay in place, while Seiya Suzuki remains the more complicated piece as the front office weighs how best to balance the lineup, the defense and the overall fit of the roster. Any move they make there will ripple through the rest of the offseason plans.
Against that backdrop, the idea of chasing CJ Abrams from Washington only sharpens the challenge. Abrams has flashed enough at the plate to make him intriguing, but a deal of that magnitude would not come cheap, and Chicago would be forced to answer a hard question about where its resources are best spent. The Cubs need pitching help, the Nationals would surely ask for plenty, and even as a roster-building thought exercise, it is the kind of trade-off that makes sense in theory and gets much tougher in practice. [Read more 🡒]
Seiya Suzuki Free Agency Just Put Cubs Fans On Notice
After a season in which Toronto followed a strong 2025 with a playoff miss, the Blue Jays are already being cast as one of the more aggressive teams to watch once free agency opens. For Cubs fans, the bigger subplot is Seiya Suzuki, who is nearing the market and has suddenly become the kind of bat other clubs could circle quickly if they decide their lineup needs a jolt.
Suzukis situation matters in Chicago because interest from a team like Toronto is exactly the sort of early free-agency attention that can change the conversation around a players future. The Blue Jays are expected to shop for offense after their struggles at the plate this past season, and Suzuki fits the profile of a hitter who could help right away, which is enough to put Cubs supporters on notice before the bidding even begins. [Read more 🡒]